What is Division II?

Southern New Hampshire University
is a proud member of NCAA Division II, and has been since joining
the NCAA in the late 1970s. Division II is comprised of
approximately 300 colleges and universities throughout the United
States, from small private institutions such as SNHU to large state
universities.

SNHU competes in the Northeast-10
Conference. With 16 members, it is the largest Division II
conference in the country. The NE-10, regarded as one of the
premier Division II conferences, sponsors 22 championships.

Many Division II student-athletes had opportunities to play in
NCAA Division I or Division III or the NAIA. But they chose
Division II, and for almost all of them, the choice is a good one.
A “balance” exists that emphasizes both academic
excellence and athletics achievement, and an environment is created
that leads to the student-athlete’s total personal
development.

Almost none of the 80,000 student-athletes competing in Division
II this year will receive a full athletics grant that covers all of
their expenses, but most of them will receive some financial aid to
help them through school. For the rest of their expenses,
they’re on their own – using scholarships, student
loans and employment earnings just like most other students
attending college. This healthy partnership is the essence of
Division II, where student-athletes are valued for their athletics
contribution and for being an important part of the overall student
body.

Division II student-athletes play at a competitive level, and they
most often play close to home. Division II emphasizes regional
competition so that student-athletes miss less class time because
of travel. Division II student-athletes receive value-based
educations at regional institutions that often feature high
teacher-to-student ratios.

Why Do Schools Choose To Be Division II?

Division II’s conservative fiscal model permits its members
to conduct high-level athletics that are fully integrated into the
overall institution. Rather than being financially self-sustaining,
almost all Division II programs receive support from the
institution itself – just like other departments of the
college or university.

Division II’s regionalization philosophy encourages
responsible spending by limiting travel. It also creates a local
emphasis that lowers recruiting expenses.

Does it work?

The average expense for a Division II program is only 36 percent
of that for a typical Division I-AA program. The largest reported
athletics budget in Division II is only about 10 percent higher
than the average athletics budget in Division I-AA.

Do fans support Division II?

Division II football set an attendance record in 2005 with
2,989,274 fans. In fact, Division II total football attendance has
increased each year since 2002, the only NCAA division or
subdivision that can make such a claim. Division II men’s
basketball also set an all-time attendance record in 2004.